UNICEF’s engagement in the Children’s Rights and Business ... · The Children’s Rights and Business Principles initiative is an example of a successful collaboration between
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The partnershipA joint initiative between UNICEF, the United Nations Global Compact and Save the Children
has resulted in a landmark set of 10 Children’s Rights and Business Principles to guide
companies on the full range of actions they can take to respect and support children’s
rights in the workplace, the marketplace and the community. The Principles call on
businesses everywhere to uphold children’s rights in all aspects of their operations – from
instituting child-friendly workplace practices, marketing and advertising practices to playing
a role in aiding children affected by emergencies.
The challengeDuring the past few decades, business enterprises have been recognized more and more
as key actors in society, with responsibilities towards those around them and accountable
for their actions. The release of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
in 20111 was a major advance in creating consensus and clarifying the responsibility of
business to uphold human rights.
While the business and human rights agenda has evolved significantly, a child rights
perspective on this issue had not been explicitly addressed. In fact, recognition of the
responsibility of business towards children has too often been limited to the prevention
of child labour. While this is important, and much work remains to be done in this area,
there has also been a need to better understand and address the myriad other ways
in which business affects children’s rights and well-being.
Because children under the age of 18 account for almost a third of the world’s population,
it is inevitable that businesses, whether small or large, will have an effect on the lives of
children, both directly and indirectly. Children are affected by business in a variety of ways
– as consumers, as members of employees’ families, as future employees themselves and
as eventual business leaders. They also live in the communities and share the environments
in which businesses operate, and are sometimes affected more severely than adults by the
hazards of industry, such as pollutants.
1 United Nations, Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy’ Framework, Human Rights Council, 21 March 2011.
UNICEF’s engagement in the Children’s Rights and Business Principles Initiative
on child rights. UNICEF’s relationship with governments was harnessed to bring their
perspectives into the process, as well as to support a parallel initiative of the Committee
on the Rights of the Child to develop guidance for governments on children’s rights
and business.
An inter-agency Steering Committee made up of representatives from each of the partner
organizations governed the initiative and was responsible for leading the conception,
development and launch of the Principles.
2 UN Global Compact, Local Network Report 2011, May 2012, p. 2.3 UN Global Compact, Corporate Sustainability in the World Economy, February 2011, p. 6. 4 Save the Children Sweden represented Save the Children International within the partnership.
PARTNERSHIP PROFILE 2012
ActivitiesThe Principles are based on the results of an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation
process involving four main elements: desk research, formal advisory groups and broad
in-person and online consultations, including a specific strategy for child participation.
Research strategy: Extensive research was conducted during the first six months to
ascertain the many ways that business affects children’s rights, how children’s issues are
addressed in selected companies’ human rights policies and practices, and the role of
governments and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in engaging with business
on children’s rights.
Advisory groups: UNICEF and Save the Children set up Internal Reference Groups of
relevant staff members around the world to inform the development of the Principles.
An external Expert Reference Group consisting of individuals from the global north and the
global south with extensive experience in human rights, child rights, corporate responsibility,
international business, international development, finance and policy led the thought process
and contributed independent, objective feedback. The views of Global Compact local networks
were also sought throughout the process.
Global consultation process: From April through July 2011, more than 600 business leaders,
civil society and government representatives, and key experts participated in meetings
and consultations held in 10 cities5 around the world and also online.6 Additionally, several
thousand people were reached by efforts to build awareness of the Principles ahead of their
official release, including through the Global Compact’s monthly bulletin and website.
Child participation: A strategy was developed to ensure the participation of children and
young people as equal stakeholders in the initiative and to build their capacity to engage
with business and understand the responsibility of business to respect and support their
rights. From June through August 2011, Save the Children, UNICEF and other partners,
notably Plan International, supported consultations with more than 400 7- to 17-year-olds
in nine countries7 to allow them to review the draft Principles and share their perspectives
on how business affects their lives, families and communities.
ResultsThe Principles were released in March 2012 in London at an event that brought together
200 corporate leaders and representatives of civil society and academia to discuss and
showcase ways in which businesses can best implement the Principles and uphold children’s
rights in all areas of their operations.
5 Beijing, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Dubai, Geneva, Istanbul, London, Nairobi, New York and Shanghai.6 An online feedback channel was launched by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre. 7 Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Senegal and Zambia.